THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE to Play Artscape This Summer
Frances van Vuuren stars as Mabel in director Darryl J Spijkers' G&S production at Artscape Theatre.
G&S's new production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance comes to Artscape from 4 to 12 July 2026, bringing Victorian charm, comic chaos, a large cast, live orchestra and a few unexpected surprises to one of the most beloved works in comic opera.
Directed by Darryl J Spijkers, with musical direction by Alastair Cockburn, this production remains rooted in the world of Victorian England. But along the way, audiences can expect a few playful theatrical touches that add sparkle, humour and visual delight to the classic story.
One such playful twist is when Frederic first sees Mabel. Having grown up among pirates, he has never seen a young woman before, and in this staging, director Darryl J Spijkers imagines her through Frederic's eyes as a mermaid - romantic, dreamlike and touched by the Victorian fascination with pirates, mermaids and mysteries of the sea.
Spijkers has been associated with the society since 2011, appearing in productions including Fiddler on the Roof, The Yeomen of the Guard and The Wizard of Oz, and directing Snoopy the Musical for G&S at the Artscape Arena. Beyond G&S, he has directed extensively in Cape Town, with credits including A Streetcar Named Desire, Blood Brothers, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hairspray, Sister Act and Shrek. He is currently Head of Culture and Dramatic Arts at Parel Vallei High School and heads the Helderberg Academy of Theatre.
The production features Renier van Rooyen as Frederic, Frances van Vuuren as Mabel and Bevan Timm as Major-General Stanley. Van Rooyen is a Cape Town-based baritone and Stellenbosch University music graduate whose credits include La Bohème, Les Misérables and Les Contes d'Hoffmann. Van Vuuren is a soprano and graduate of the South African College of Music, and a recipient of the David Aldred Memorial Prize for Sopranos and the Fine Music Radio Bursary Trust Awards. Timm makes his G&S debut as the iconic Major-General, bringing with him strong comic credentials from stage productions including 'Allo 'Allo!.
With a cast of more than 60 performers, dancers and live accompaniment from the Cape Town Sinfonietta, The Pirates of Penzance promises laughter, romance, spectacle and musical brilliance in equal measure. The show runs at Artscape from Saturday 4 July to Sunday 12 July 2026.
